Prove Me Wrong: Only 2 Teams are Tanking So Far

[DusterBuster]

Having Dolan as owner is a tanking job.

Once again, you confuse incompetence with tanking. Two very very very VERY different things.

I think nomansland put it very clearly......

Ineptitude is when your plan fails.
Planning to fail is tanking.

If you can't see this fact, I don't know what else there is to say.

[Tai]

Boston are not tanking. We got out and be competitive every game, we havnt been blown out often (Indiana did beat us by 30 odd but they are very very good).

Boston are 13-17 and Toronto (4th seed & top of division) are 13-15, I think we can make that up when Rondo returns.

boston by all means was trying to tank. trade Pierce & Garnett with Rondo on the mend. Maybe it shows that Brad Stevens can really coach. That roster is pretty bad.

Heh, why'd you think Brad Stevens couldn't coach? Took a team in moral Indiana to two NCs....I don't think that's something I'd consider easy. I figure most Celtics fans by now are much more thankful in what the team has in Stevens.

[They_Them_Hatin]

Can tanking, tweaking, bae, thot and more abused words stay in 2013.

[DusterBuster]

Boston are not tanking. We got out and be competitive every game, we havnt been blown out often (Indiana did beat us by 30 odd but they are very very good).

Boston are 13-17 and Toronto (4th seed & top of division) are 13-15, I think we can make that up when Rondo returns.

boston by all means was trying to tank. trade Pierce & Garnett with Rondo on the mend. Maybe it shows that Brad Stevens can really coach. That roster is pretty bad.

Heh, why'd you think Brad Stevens couldn't coach? Took a team in moral Indiana to two NCs....I don't think that's something I'd consider easy. I figure most Celtics fans by now are muchmore thankful in what the team has in Stevens.

College coaching doesn't always translate to the NBA. Ask Rick Pitino why he doesn't coach in the NBA anymore. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

[MojoPharoah]

Building teams with a potential to fail immensely is tanking, whether that was the goal or not.

Implicit with tanking is either deliberately trying to lose or sacrificing wins for a long term gain. Tanking is not the same thing as just plain sucking. Not at all.

So a team that addressed none of their needs, the star player admitting the team is playing to lose, the owner basically willing to stand pat by saying everyone is safe and every media having the teams thinking of said team not improving in any facet that impedes a season plans two years from now doesnt fit tanking?

I would say no, because the management was just bad. Every management move has been a case of flawed myopic shortsightedness, with a distinct inability to understand how to properly build a cohesive team. They run toward talent(especially scorers) and names, failing to realize that doing so does not make a contender. Doesn't equal tanking, though, because the intent was always winning, not stomaching the accumulation of losses today in order to achieve some future goal.

Knicks aren't tanking, neither are the Nets. What the Knicks did in the runup to 2010, to clear space... That would be tanking

[Tai]

boston by all means was trying to tank. trade Pierce & Garnett with Rondo on the mend. Maybe it shows that Brad Stevens can really coach. That roster is pretty bad.

Heh, why'd you think Brad Stevens couldn't coach? Took a team in moral Indiana to two NCs....I don't think that's something I'd consider easy. I figure most Celtics fans by now are muchmore thankful in what the team has in Stevens.

College coaching doesn't always translate to the NBA. Ask Rick Pitino why he doesn't coach in the NBA anymore. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Well, Brad Stevens never came off as a guy so controlling. That's probably part of it for Pitino. Not that it makes Pitino a bad coach, but that seems to be one of the ground rules for being a NBA coach; you have to tweak the "control freak" thing a bit.

[DusterBuster]

Heh, why'd you think Brad Stevens couldn't coach? Took a team in moral Indiana to two NCs....I don't think that's something I'd consider easy. I figure most Celtics fans by now are muchmore thankful in what the team has in Stevens.

College coaching doesn't always translate to the NBA. Ask Rick Pitino why he doesn't coach in the NBA anymore. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Well, Brad Stevens never came off as a guy so controlling. That's probably part of it for Pitino. Not that it makes Pitino a bad coach, but that seems to be one of the ground rules for being a NBA coach; you have to tweak the "control freak" thing a bit.

I understand, but it also is why the Brad Stevens hiring wasn't exactly something that could be considered a slam dunk at the time.

[Thugger HBC]

Having Dolan as owner is a tanking job.

Once again, you confuse incompetence with tanking. Two very very very VERY different things.

I think nomansland put it very clearly......

Ineptitude is when your plan fails.
Planning to fail is tanking.

If you can't see this fact, I don't know what else there is to say.

tell me what you think of this....

http://www.basketballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=2183

[Thugger HBC]

Implicit with tanking is either deliberately trying to lose or sacrificing wins for a long term gain. Tanking is not the same thing as just plain sucking. Not at all.

So a team that addressed none of their needs, the star player admitting the team is playing to lose, the owner basically willing to stand pat by saying everyone is safe and every media having the teams thinking of said team not improving in any facet that impedes a season plans two years from now doesnt fit tanking?

I would say no, because the management was just bad. Every management move has been a case of flawed myopic shortsightedness, with a distinct inability to understand how to properly build a cohesive team. They run toward talent(especially scorers) and names, failing to realize that doing so does not make a contender. Doesn't equal tanking, though, because the intent was always winning, not stomaching the accumulation of losses today in order to achieve some future goal.

Knicks aren't tanking, neither are the Nets. What the Knicks did in the runup to 2010, to clear space... That would be tanking

You must hadnt heard of the 2015 plans...

[tranjSAIC]

Building teams with a potential to fail immensely is tanking, whether that was the goal or not.

No offense man, but that's some of the worst logic I've ever heard. Other guys on here clearly broke down why the Knicks, Nets and Bucks did NOT try to tank, how can you not see it.

[bwgood77]

I don't think the Magic are tanking, they just aren't very good. All young guys and their best player is Aaron Afflalo....

And I was thinking they had some nice young talent, but it looks like they are beginning to breed a losing culture their, like in Cleveland.

[tiderulz]

Boston are not tanking. We got out and be competitive every game, we havnt been blown out often (Indiana did beat us by 30 odd but they are very very good).

Boston are 13-17 and Toronto (4th seed & top of division) are 13-15, I think we can make that up when Rondo returns.

boston by all means was trying to tank. trade Pierce & Garnett with Rondo on the mend. Maybe it shows that Brad Stevens can really coach. That roster is pretty bad.

Heh, why'd you think Brad Stevens couldn't coach? Took a team in moral Indiana to two NCs....I don't think that's something I'd consider easy. I figure most Celtics fans by now are much more thankful in what the team has in Stevens.

hey, i think Stevens is a great coach. Look what he did at Butler. I didnt know how well his coaching would translate to the NBA, but apparently it translates very well.

[tranjSAIC]

I don't think the Magic are tanking, they just aren't very good. All young guys and their best player is Aaron Afflalo....

And I was thinking they had some nice young talent, but it looks like they are beginning to breed a losing culture their, like in Cleveland.

You know we JUST started rebuilding from the whole Dwightmare saga. We've had ONE high draft pick so far, and ONE year of tanking.

How is that anything like CLE who has had numerous high draft picks in multiple years of tanking.

[bwgood77]

I don't think the Magic are tanking, they just aren't very good. All young guys and their best player is Aaron Afflalo....

And I was thinking they had some nice young talent, but it looks like they are beginning to breed a losing culture their, like in Cleveland.

You know we JUST started rebuilding from the whole Dwightmare saga. We've had ONE high draft pick so far, and ONE year of tanking.

How is that anything like CLE who has had numerous high draft picks in multiple years of tanking.

Well you traded for Vucevic, Afflao and Harris, who I thought were all pretty good, drafted a couple of players I thought were good, have a few decent vets, in a horrific conference, and are still one of the worst teams. Before the season I thought they might have as much talent as the Suns, but that obviously isn't the case.

[nomansland]

Having Dolan as owner is a tanking job.

Once again, you confuse incompetence with tanking. Two very very very VERY different things.

I think nomansland put it very clearly......

Ineptitude is when your plan fails.
Planning to fail is tanking.

If you can't see this fact, I don't know what else there is to say.

tell me what you think of this....

http://www.basketballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=2183

He says a lot of the same things we're saying about the definition of tanking.

His second sentence: To me, tanking means intentionally trying to lose games.

He later goes on to call it "sinister."

Losing through incompetence is not sinister.

[Ayt]

Tanking to me is putting your team in a position to lose, cant truly think of too many teams that fit this definition....the Bucks yes, as they didnt improve their situation at all and solely was the helper to make everyone else improve.

The Bucks added a ton of veterans to the team in an attempt to win. They didn't bring in Mayo, Pachulia, Butler, Neal, Ridnour, Delfino for the hell of it. None of those players are great, but they are undoubtedly useful NBA rotation players. The Bucks owe Mayo, Pachulia, Neal, and Delfino a combined 20M next season as well so it isn't like they were signing these guys to one off deals.

They traded Jennings because it simply wasn't working for either side and actually got back excellent value in Knight and Middleton.

[tranjSAIC]

And I was thinking they had some nice young talent, but it looks like they are beginning to breed a losing culture their, like in Cleveland.

You know we JUST started rebuilding from the whole Dwightmare saga. We've had ONE high draft pick so far, and ONE year of tanking.

How is that anything like CLE who has had numerous high draft picks in multiple years of tanking.

Well you traded for Vucevic, Afflao and Harris, who I thought were all pretty good, drafted a couple of players I thought were good, have a few decent vets, in a horrific conference, and are still one of the worst teams. Before the season I thought they might have as much talent as the Suns, but that obviously isn't the case.

I'm sure we could get to the 8th seed if we really wanted it, but whats the point. With his draft being the best in years we are going to do everything possible to suck this year include playing a rookie shooting guard at the point guard position and keeping players out longer with injuries. Tobes missed 20 of 21 games for a sprained ankle...

btw, we have a turrible coach too. I'm jealous of you Boston guys, that Stevens seems like the real deal.

[jazzfan1971]

I was thinking the Jazz were tanking to start the season. Now I'm not so sure. I'm hoping we'll get back to our bottom of the league ways before long.

[dice]

The Magic and Sixers are the only teams that have fielded teams not built to be competitive for the playoffs. The Suns intended that, but have been on a magical run.

the intent IS the tank essentially, though. the suns are a failed tank

Utah's record since Trey Burke came back from injury is almost .500-ish

doesn't matter. the intent was the same as the magic, sixers, and suns

The Bucks were projected to be a borderline playoff team in the preseason, and their pieces have just not gelled (and their best player in Sanders was injured until this week). You can call it "stealth tanking" but given the owner's track record, not likely.

agree

Sacramento made a win-now move for Gay.

agree

LAL was above .500 until all 3 of their PGs got injured, forcing their backup SF to start at PG.

agree. not to mention they haven't exactly discouraged kobe from returning as quickly as possible

And I certainly don't believe any team is intentionally losing games.

me either. that has happened in the past (coach screwing with rotations to prevent wins, not players intentionally playing badly), but there's no reason to believe any of that is going on this season

4 or 5 teams went into the season not minding if they were historically bad: sixers, jazz, suns, magic, and maybe celtics. that the Cs are talking D league for rondo rehab would seem to indicate more than just an abundance of caution

[EricAnderson]

Its been a huge myth by people being lazy and seeing how bad the east is..Only a few teams came into the season with no plans to even compete..

Theyres always tons of bad teams with inept managment that will never change..